Map Room

01/05/09

Beers great, employees leave alot to be desired.

by diamondlake at Citysearch

Map room has a great selection of beers, I was in beer heaven. Even though the bartender and his female counter part were not very friendly, I didn't go in to make a best friend with him or even think of taking her home. He does need a little help in pouring a beer with limited head. One thing he did do, was to suggest a wonderful I.P.A. tap beer. I did not find the place loud or juke box out of control but we also went in around 2:00 p.m. Some semi seedy patrons but no problems at all. Parking on the other hand was a real challenge. If in the city next time I will definetly give them another chance though.

• Pros: Beer Selection
• Cons: Parking - Unfriendly Staff

09/23/08

Poor Service, Bad Atmosphere

by Terminum at Citysearch

Good luck trying to actually get a drink here - the bartenders are rude and slow. They also poor way too much head. Quite a rip for the price you pay. On top of that, the obnoxiously loud music makes it difficult to properly enjoy the quality beer selection. The menu looks nice, but I was very disappointed.

• Pros: Lots of great beer.
• Cons: No food, poor service

06/24/08

Drink your beer, shut up and get out.

by stickhold at Citysearch

When you have the best beer list in the city, and they probably do, apparently you don't need to bother attracting return visits with good service. I considered myself a partial regular, always tipped well (well over 20% in cash), never overstayed my welcome and have brought many out of towners to this establishment. Lately it's all changed - there is now a palpable nervous discontent amongst staff which seems to stem from the owner who just never seems to really relax. My shrinking disposable income forces me to be more selective and I will not be going back for a long time. I've seen my share of surley patrons lately in this bar and I wonder if it's the chicken or the egg. Either way - my suggestion: get in, have some great beer and get out with your self-respect in tact. Sorry Map Room - I wish you luck in the future but for now we are moving in different direction.

• Pros: Amazing beer, close to 90/94
• Cons: poor service, unfriendly atmosphere

02/03/08

Cold Shoulder

by Zonny at Citysearch

After sending an e-mail on January 12 to the Map Room, letting them know that our pub crawl would be making its 16th annual visit on Sat, Feb 2, we were quite dismayed to be refused service when we arrived yesterday. I asked the bartender what happened that he would not pour anyone a beer? He said "owner's policy not to serve unannounced pub crawls." I explained that we had notified Map Room that we were coming and pointed out that we were annual visitors - always on Super Bowl Saturday, always in the early afternoon. He shrugged and said "no one told me." No offer to contact anyone else to confirm the facts.

Our group moved onto the next stop, Lemmings, where we spent double the time (and money) and everyone had a great time.

Either they have major internal communications problems at the Map Room or, as the previous poster described, they just permit poor service by its staff. Maybe they feel they have enough customers and do not need more. Needless to say, we will be looking for another bar in Bucktown for next year that appreciates the business of 30 - 40 well-behaved beer lovers.

• Cons: Service

09/09/07

A Night to Forget

by saribou at Citysearch

The place has an extensive beer selection, both on tap and in bottles. However, if the staff has no clue how to properly pour any of the drinks, or any idea how to tell you what any of the drinks might be like, it is kind of hard to enjoy your experience. We tried to make the best of an unfriendly situation, but in spite of our efforts, they not only overcharged us for our tab, but charged our card TWICE for the same overpriced bill. Overall, an unpleasant experience, and we won't be back. If you are looking for a great selection of beers from all over the world.. please, try the Hopleaf instead. !!!

• Pros: Good beer selection
• Cons: Just about everything else.. esp. the RUDE barstaff!!

08/28/07

what imporant here? the outstanding beer selection.

by jlittlej at Citysearch

in response to the last review.... hm... it really sounds like the bartenders did what every bartender dreams of doing when a simple request of theirs (mind you they're not usually the ones making the rules anyways) is met with unnecessary argument. lots of bars ask for i.d.'s to hold.

the beer selection is diverse and delicious, and the staff is very knowledgeable about the beer - if you have a kind of beer in mind that you like, they're ready to give you some comparable suggestions. and they carry some really daring bottled beers.

but its really important to remember why map room is so popular and why people suggest it to their friends... its an amazing BEER BAR. if you want a bud light or a dirty martini, go somewhere else.

i guess the only other issue is that they may ask for your i.d. to hold... and i guess if that's a big issue for you, i wouldn't come here either.

06/04/07

Exceptionally Rude Staff

by little_c at Citysearch

I had heard that the Map Room was a great spot - so when a friend was in town from NYC, my boyfriend and I thought it would be a nice place to check out. It was a busy Friday, and I went over to grab a corner near the pool table as my friend and my boyfriend went to get drinks. A few minutes later, they came over to me empty handed and told me we were leaving. Apparently, when my friend went to pay with her credit card, the bartender demanded her I.D., not for age verification, as we had already been carded by the bouncer, but rather - to keep behind the bar. She handed it over, but with trepidation, and stated her concerns and asked why... Without a word, the bartender left my friend and spoke to someone else behind the bar - he came back to my friend, grabbed the beer out of my boyfriend's hand and told him and my friend to leave. NO explanation. NO apology. NOTHING. We went to a friendly bar nearby and even their staff mentioned how obnoxious the Map Room's staff had been to them. I will NEVER patronize this bar again - and I will advise all of my friends accordingly.

• Cons: Terribly rude staff

05/30/07

BEER HEAVEN!!!

by vegitoboi at Citysearch

I'll keep this short, almost ANY and EVERY beer that is domestically made and/or can be imported into the US is HERE!!! Over 500+ varieties of beer from around the world plus about 12 taps to choose from...trust me, you can go around the world of beer in 1 night (just not all 500 beers at once though =) ). No wine, no food (except for some bar mix here and there), just BEER, tvs, and 2 pool tables for your entertainment. A must try on your visit in the Bucktown neighborhood.

• Pros: BEER!!!
• Cons: Parking, no food service, crowded at times, icky bathrooms

03/08/07

great beer selection, comfortable atmosphere

by EmilyDwarf at Citysearch

i've been here on a saturday night (lots of people but i never feel crowded and i've always got a table) and on a weekday around 5pm after work. the weekday brought an after-work crowd and some patrons drinking beer and studying, reading, etc. it was perfect- i've always said i wished coffee houses served booze for thsoe times i want to read the paper and drink (just not at my house). the bartenders offered excellent suggestions for my requests.

• Pros: great (and ever changing) beer selections, prices affordable
• Cons: parking is a pain

11/10/06

Beer heaven

by ssinnott at Citysearch

Non- pretentious atmosphere, close quarters and fabulous beer selection make for a wonderful bar. This is one of my newly christened favorites for it's extensive beer menu, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and laid-back environment. I have enjoyed many a relaxing pint here while avoiding the hipster crowd. Patrons and staff are genuine and true beer afficianados. A+. (Does tend to get a bit smokey in the back though.)

• Pros: enormous beer selection, friendly staff
• Cons: gets a little smokey